Campaign lacks flair

After two weeks of the cut and thrust of official campaigning, it's been a war of political attrition rather than rousing speeches, colourful confrontations or inspiring promises.

For the media pack, following every move and trying to piece together what each means for voters, it's been hard going. In between interviews and photo opportunities, there's been a general consensus that the campaign to date has been boring.

It's hard to say whether voters are more or less interested in this election campaign than any other. But at times even the three party leaders haven't seemed that interested in what they're saying.

Sure, the first day of campaigning had the adrenaline running, with all the set pieces that came with it as the Premier visited the Governor's house and campaign slogans were unveiled.

Perhaps that shows what's been lacking since: direction. Political minders are always talking about strategy, but the campaign so far looks more like a Pro Hart canvas than a chess game.

With the March 20 polling date set so long ago, the phoney campaign began months ago, or more. So maybe it's no surprise that the three parties didn't keep a huge amount of powder dry for the official five-week war.

Another explanation could be the focus on party leaders. While MPs and candidates wear out shoe leather knocking on doors and kissing babies at suburban shopping centres, all parties have concentrated their media profile on their leaders.

It's been described by others as a Presidential-style campaign, but there's been little of the panache of a stars and stripes run-off. More to the point, the characters and misjudgments at the periphery are often what makes things interesting.

Exhibit A would be rookie minister Lisa Singh's petulant (and later potty-mouthed) performance when announcing an asbestos policy this week. It's our job to sniff out when a politician isn't up on the detail of what they're talking about, or the rhetoric and reality don't vaguely match up. Acting like a martyr is a sure way to be burned at the media stake.

We were given another brief reprieve from the boredom this week with the release of the first EMRS opinion poll since November. We grasped at it, perhaps a little too keenly, and it did make interesting reading.

Premier David Bartlett has spent two weeks earnestly telling voters to support him and keep the momentum. That pitch has now hit a brick wall. If the election even vaguely resembles the EMRS poll, 12 years of Labor Government won't get to lucky 13.

The news was little better for the Liberals. The party retained its status as most popular party, but if Labor has hit a brick wall then the Opposition has run off the road. Liberal support fell and leader Will Hodgman's insistence he's pushing for majority government now seems hollow.

The poll brought by far the best news for the Greens, showing support within a stone's throw of Labor. But the party seems uncomfortable in the position, perhaps knowing that success know paints a target on its back.

The division in the Tasmanian community between pro and anti forestry forces has been muted to the Greens' benefit, but can that last? There have been no protests, tree sits or confrontations between activists and forest workers in the news.

It's hard to believe the campaign's pace won't pick up. Perhaps the next big set pieces, the official campaign launches, will give the election race a shot in the arm.